Ah, the power of fashion, especially when it involves Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His outfit at a June 24 NATO meeting has kicked off a $79 million showdown on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction platform. And what’s the big question? Whether Zelenskyy would wear a suit before July. Simple, right? Not so fast.
A Polymarket user decided to get some action going by creating a betting market on whether Zelenskyy would wear a suit between May 22 and June 30. A photo or video was required to confirm the look, and things went... well, not quite as expected. The market initially landed on “yes,” but after a couple of disputes, it’s now in limbo, awaiting a final decision. Who knew fashion could stir up such drama?
The Suit Debate
So, what exactly is a “suit”? Is Zelenskyy’s outfit—blazer, collared shirt, long pants, and trainers—a suit or not? Social media is absolutely losing it over the semantics. Those on the "yes" side argue that it’s all made of similar material, looks formal, and shares the same color scheme. The "no" crowd, however, says that it’s just a black shirt and jacket that’s more like a casual blazer. Oh, and the trainers? Definitely not matching.
A Polymarket account on X (formerly Twitter), called Polymarket Intel, jumped in, declaring that Zelenskyy’s getup was indeed a suit.
President Zelenskyy in a suit last night pic.twitter.com/Uo3Rhuzkq1
— Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) June 25, 2025
Meanwhile, ChatGPT, when asked, disagreed, calling it more of a "military-style field jacket" than anything that could pass as a traditional suit. Derek Guy, a Canadian men’s fashion expert, joined the fray but cleverly sidestepped a clear stance, calling it “both a suit and not a suit.” Well, that clears things up, right?
a bunch of polymarket traders have asked me to weigh in on this. i gather that these are people who are into crypto and thus have a lot of money. if $5k can be raised for @feederofcats, a cat rescue org, i will do a thread on why zelenskyy's outfit is both a suit and not a suit. https://t.co/aRz3JNYMpD
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 26, 2025
This Isn’t the First Suit Standoff
If you think this is the first time Zelenskyy’s outfit has caused a ruckus, think again. A similar market popped up in May regarding another outfit he wore in Germany. That time, Polymarket ruled that it wasn’t a suit. Derek Guy jumped in, of course, and called it a suit since, by his definition, "a suit is just a jacket and pants made from the same fabric." A loose definition, but hey, it’s fashion.
zelenskyy wears a suit while visiting germany. this is, technically, a suit, as a suit is just a garment where the jacket and pants have been cut from the same cloth pic.twitter.com/CjLXTzMMaA
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) May 29, 2025
Zelenskyy’s decision to not wear a suit at formal meetings with world leaders has sparked its own controversy. In March, he famously said he’d wear a suit again only when the war with Russia ended. Until then, his casual military-style attire signals that the war is far from over. Fashion as a statement? You bet.
The Crypto Prediction Platform With More Drama Than Fashion Week
This isn’t the only time Polymarket has stirred up trouble. The platform has faced controversy in the past, like during the TikTok ban debate in January. The market was supposed to settle whether TikTok would be banned, but with the platform still available, things got a little... murky. Oh, and let’s not forget the $13 million Ethereum ETF bets or the $7 million Ukraine mineral deal debacle earlier this year.
Polymarket relies on UMA Protocol’s blockchain oracles to verify real-world events and settle outcomes. But here’s the thing: these oracles have been accused of going rogue, and the entire system relies on trust, something that’s often hard to come by in crypto.
As blockchain-powered economic database Truf.Network put it, when no one can verify the data, everything collapses. The truth isn’t just about who decides it, it’s about who can verify it. And when you’re betting millions on a single question about a suit, well, let’s just say the truth is up for grabs.
HODL Team
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